SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMERS: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al, SG-1 characters belong to Gekko, MGM, and the Sci-Fi Channel. Original characters (by now, y'all know which ones they are) are all mine ... don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first, give them back intact and give credit where credit is due. Mindy belongs to herself and my neighbors, though she still thinks my family and I belong to her.
SPOILERS: For Mag7, all twenty-one episodes are fair game, along with my previous stories, More than Friends, A Light in the Distance, Under the Sun, Days of Yearning, Sun, Fun, and Ezra on the Run, Full Circle, Open House, Return to Innocence and Karaoke Night; also all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: Mainly language. If need be, I'll be writing two versions of this story... the PG-13 version and the steamier version. If a steamier version becomes necessary, you can email me privately to read it. More on that as the story develops.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just as an fyi ... this series, this universe, ignores the events of the later fifth season of Stargate SG-1. Specifically, Meridian and Revelation. Which also gets rid of Jonas Quinn in sixth season.
Hold on to your hearts desire
When you see one bird into the wind another one's turning
And the two can fly much higher,"
Islands, Mike Oldfield
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, every where you go. There's a tree ... oh, what are you laughing at?" Lacey Tanner demanded crossly. Her most immediate companion just grinned, and Lacey shook her head. The blonde teenager continued, "Honestly, you have the weirdest of sense of humor I've ever seen!" That resulted in more laughter ... from all of her companions, and Lacey looked around, asking, "Whaaaaat?"
"Nothing, hon ... it's just been a while since we came across anyone who enjoyed Christmas as much as you do," Dr. Charlotte Richmond answered, limping along beside Lacey's older sister Carly. Lacey frowned at the archaeologist, who had broken her ankle more than three weeks earlier. What did she mean by that? Didn't Charlotte's own daughter, Tansy, enjoy Christmas? Charlotte added, seeing the question in Lacey's eyes, "Of course Tansy loves Christmas, but she's a little girl."
"Besides," Captain Mary Travis added, "You just said that Adriana has the weirdest sense of humor you've ever had. She's your brother's girlfriend ... Vin's girlfriend, I should say. And you know what Vin's sense of humor, so why does it surprise you so much that his girlfriend has an equally off-the-wall sense of humor?" The woman now walking at Lacey's side looked at her questioningly, her dark brows raised.
"I'm so glad you brought that up, Mary. We need to have a war council about my dear twin," Carly said, bringing the attention of the women back to her. She cleared her throat, continuing, "It's come to my attention that my dear twin is trying to plan the perfect night for himself and Drina. I'm sure you can all figure out what he plans on doing that night. The trouble is twofold. First, The perfect night is impossible, because of where we work. Two ... this perfect night is no less than three months in the future, when the weather starts turning nice."
" Would this be a picnic on the side of the mountain? And things to follow from that?" Charlotte questioned and Carly nodded. Charlotte continued, "Thought so ... I overheard Vin talking to Josiah about it, getting his opinion on it. He's afraid. I thought as much, after the karaoke night. He's afraid that he's misreading Adriana's signals, afraid that he'll do something wrong. You've got your work cut out for you, Drina."
Damn. The more she heard about this karaoke night, the more Lacey wished she had gone. Both of her brothers sang ... both of them! She could have easily believed that Carly would get up and sing (and her older sister later played the song she sang while she and Lacey were together), but Chris and Vin? She could believe that Chris did it on a dare ... that would be the only way someone could get him up on a stage. But even so ... Vin?
That just boggled the mind. Vin? Her somewhat shy brother, the one who would rather sit at a table in the back of a restaurant and watch everyone else? Had gotten up on stage and sang? Okay, so it was after closing, and the only people left were his friends and family. That wasn't the point! Her big brother, Mr. Shyness himself, had done something she never believed possible. She'd have to keep an eye on him.
However, Lacey had her own excitement to deal with. Corporal JD Dunne, SG-7's resident owie magnet and general pain in the ass, had paid her, Billy, and Mindy a visit while everyone else was at karaoke night. It wasn't that Lacey minded watching Billy and Mindy. She had always loved dogs, and she adored eight year old Billy Travis. The feeling was mutual, from both Mindy and Billy. The little boy was still trying to decide whether or not he should call her 'Aunt Lacey,' since her older brother Chris was unofficially engaged to Billy's mother.
Lacey had finally told him to just stick with 'Lacey,' since she was only nineteen years old. When Vin and Drina (or Chris and Mary) had a baby, that munchkin would call her 'Aunt Lacey,' but Billy was only eleven years younger than Lacey. The same age difference which separated Drina from her older brother Buck. So, there was no way Billy was calling her 'Aunt,' when she could have just as easily been his older sister. Even though Mary was only three years older than Vin and Drina, so there was no way she could have been Lacey's mother.
On the other hand, maybe having Billy as a little brother wasn't that bad of an idea. Mary tended to treat her as a little sister, which Lacey liked. You could never have too many big sisters, after all. Lacey still wished she could have gone to Karaoke Night with her two brothers and her sister. But for now, she would just help out with this new war council. Over the weeks she had been in Colorado for her Christmas break, Lacey had come to learn that a 'war council' was called when one of the women in the Four Corners (which now consisted of eight, rather than four) needed help ... usually of the romantic variety.
Personally, Lacey was of the opinion that Carly should stay out of Vin and Drina's business. She knew exactly what was troubling her older sister, but really, Drina could take it from here. She was twenty-seven, not seventeen ... and Charlotte had told her about Vin's plans for the perfect night, three months in the future. Adriana was more than capable of easing Vin's fears. They didn't need a war council to do that.
Maybe Lacey should call a war council of her own with Rafael ... maybe if he distracted Carly, she would leave Vin and Drina alone. She'd ask Mary's opinion about it later, when they were finished with their Christmas shopping. In the meantime, there was another way to distract her big sister. Lacey asked, catching Charlotte's eye and winking at her, "So, how is JD doing at making amends with Vin?"
That was something else that had come out of Karaoke Night. She heard about the confrontation between Will Richmond (Mr. Head-Up-And-Locked, Lacey had started calling him) and JD in front of the bar from Josiah. During the last week, JD had quietly started making amends with Vin for his behavior toward Kevin, Vin's five year old counterpart. Little things, done in an unobtrusive way. Usually when Vin was too distracted by something else to even notice what JD was doing. And usually, 'unobtrusive' wasn't a word used to describe JD Dunne.
But it could be used this time. Lacey noticed and she smiled at him, silently thanking him for taking care of her big brother. The others were slowly starting to forgive JD, now that he was acting like an adult again, instead of demanding that they forgive him on his terms. Mary answered softly, "The walls are starting to come down around his heart, but I think Vin will need some more time. It's so strange ... we have our Vin back, but Kevin is still there."
"You're talking about the bond he formed with Billy while he was Kevin," Charlotte observed, and Mary nodded. Lacey glanced at Charlotte. She was using her crutches again, Lacey noticed. She was glad. The archaeologist had suffered a slight setback after Karaoke Night with her ankle. Tried to do too much. Maybe Lacey should adopt her as well. Lord and Lady knew, her husband wasn't capable of taking care of Charlotte or Tansy. Hell, for that matter, he wasn't capable of taking care of himself!
"We're getting off topic," Carly said, and Lacey rolled her eyes. She exchanged a long-suffering glance with her mother, who had been silent for the last several minutes. Mom had decided at the last minute to come along, since she realized she didn't have a proper gift for Josiah. Or, at least, what she termed a proper gift. Lacey wondered briefly if he would move in with them, after Lacey returned to college, then decided she didn't want to know. She wasn't sure she could handle those types of images in her head.
"No, we're not," Charlotte retorted cheerfully, "because we're gonna let Adriana handle Vin." Handle Vin? Lacey didn't think there was a person alive who could 'handle' Vin. He was a human being, after all, not an animal. 'Take care of,' she would go along with. But 'handle' just didn't sound right. Charlotte grinned, adding, "She does a lovely job already ... OW!" She glared at Adriana, who was wearing a smug grin. Charlotte muttered under her breath, "At least it was a tap ... she coulda knocked me off my feet, if she really wanted to." Adriana nodded at that, still wearing that smug grin.
"Yup ... and don't you forget it, neither, Carlota," Drina answered. She winked at Charlotte, and Lacey saw the other archaeologist fighting back a grin. She lost, however. Of course. Drina continued, "But she's right. I know about the situation, I can take care of Vin's worries best if I work alone. Carly ... no. Or I'll tell Rafael who dyed his underwear."
Lacey clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, not just at the reminder, but at the indignant look on her older sister's face. Lacey knew that Rafael's underwear ended up pink after they were thrown in with one of Carly's red sweaters. How they actually got there, no one was entirely sure. But it didn't matter, because it provided wonderful blackmail material, every time Carly decided she would take care of Vin's worries about Drina.
"She's right, Caroline Patricia ... this is something they need to work out for themselves," Lacey's mom said. She leveled a gaze all her own at Lacey's older sister, then continued once she was satisfied that Carly would behave herself, "Now. I keep hearing people call Charlotte, 'Carlota.' Would anyone please explain to me why? I mean, yeah, I know it's the Spanish and Italian version of her name, but still ... "
"Oh, that's simple, Jo," Drina replied, resuming her slow pace once more, "like you said, it is the Spanish version of her name. I needed a nickname, and let's face it, most of the nicknames for 'Charlotte' suck." Lacey couldn't argue with that ... the only nicknames she knew of were 'Charlie,' ' Char,' or 'Lottie.' And they all sucked. Besides, every time she heard ' Char,' she thought of 'Charr,' the Decepticons' new home planet. She adored the Generation One Transformers. Never mind she was just a baby when it debuted
"I actually like it better than my own name," Charlotte admitted. Lacey couldn't argue with that, either. Charlotte continued, her voice cracking a little as it always did when she spoke of her older daughter, "Will wanted to name Allison after me, but I talked him into using my maiden name instead. And 'Lindsay' was my mother's maiden name." Lacey awkwardly put her hand on Charlotte's forearm. Mom had told her, when they talked about it once, that losing Allison would never go away for Charlotte. No matter how many years passed.
"And then there's Tansy ... you know, Carlota, I'd like to see the expressions on the faces of her teachers when you explain that 'Tansy' is short for 'Tanner,' instead of a name in and of itself," Carly said into the awkward silence that followed. Lacey glanced at her mother, who had put a supportive arm around Charlotte's waist, so she saw the smile which appeared at the mention of Tansy.
"Oh, it was always funny, Carly. Usually, their jaw would drop when I wrote it out. Then they would ask the obvious question ... why we didn't call her 'Adriana.' And I'd have to explain that both of Tansy's namesakes are one of a kind ... and so is my daughter," Charlotte replied. Lacey nodded. That was why she ultimately started using 'Lacey,' instead of ' Lizzie.' It wasn't just because 'Lacey' was prettier ... but also because it was more unique. And, her family was starting to get used to that.
And now that the awkward moment was over, Carly returned to the topic at hand, asking, "Have you and Vin ever discussed names for children, Drina?" The younger archaeologist gave a strangled sound of sheer exasperation. Carly continued, "Whaaaaaaaat? It's a perfectly valid question. I mean, once you two get your act together, you'll have children eventually ... OW! Charlotte!" Lacey looked back again, to see an equally smug smile decorating Charlotte's face, even as she wobbled a little on her crutches.
"Carly, I would advise you to quit while you're ahead. Charlotte told Will he'd get a crutch in the crotch if he didn't leave Vin alone ... but Chris wanted to stick it somewhere else. Just remember that," Lacey's mom said, laughing as she steadied Charlotte. Carly just glowered at them both, then flounced ahead. Lacey shook her head. Unbelievable. Her sister was flouncing! Things were getting downright scary.
"And actually, yes, Vin and I have talked about names. We don't have a girl's name yet, but we've decided once we're ready to get married and have children, our son will be either 'Christopher,' 'Kit' for short, or 'Robin.' And no, we are not combining the names! We're still discussing middle names for both. We have discovered we're both pretty traditional in terms of names. What about you and Chris, Mary?" Adriana asked, successfully diverting the topic.
"Nope, we haven't really talked about it. Well, aside from Chris admitting that he gave Buck his okay to name his daughter 'Sarah' when Buck finally settles down," Mary replied. Lacey cocked her brows at the captain. 'When Buck finally settles down,' didn't she mean 'if' Buck settles down? Mary just smiled serenely at Lacey's blatant disbelief, saying, "It will happen, Lacey. Someday, Buck will fall head over heads for a woman, and that's gonna be it."
Mom said softly, barely audible to all the women, "For all we know, it may have already happened. And Buck's just not ready to tell any of us. Finished pouting, Carly?" Lacey looked up as her older sister returned to the group. Carly just scowled at her. Lacey decided then and there that she would definitely have to put her head together with Rafael, and see about getting that romance kick-started ... before Carly drove the rest of them nuts. Either that, or maybe see if she could get another assignment?
"It's almost noon ... was thinking you all might be hungry. And see what else we can do about Vin," Carly replied stubbornly. Lacey groaned and turned toward Mary, banging her head against the Air Force captain's shoulder. Would her sister never quit? Argggh! Mary just put a comforting arm around Lacey's shoulders. She was gonna kill Carly! Slowly and painfully, and... No. No, she wouldn't. She'd let Vin do that!
"Food is a good idea ... pursuing this line of conversation is not. I will take care of Vin, Carly. This is my responsibility, and mine alone. I know exactly why he's so worried, and I have some ideas about how to help him. Back ... off," Adriana replied. Her voice grew hard, and Lacey remembered her mother telling her about Jock Steele at Karaoke Night, talking about Adriana's past. Specifically, surviving the years of molestation. The little worm was talking about turning her experiences into a book, for god's sake! Uh-uh, no way, it wasn't gonna happen, not if Lacey had anything to say about it!
They had Lacey's biological mother to thank for Steele knowing. They still didn't know how or why Jessica Tucker told that vile little man about something that wasn't any of his concern ... or hers, for that matter. Looking back at the woman who had raised her for the last nineteen years, Lacey wondered if the two sisters had ... discussed it yet. Her mom had told her about the incident at Karaoke Night when they all got back to Chris and Mary's place, but to the best of Lacey's knowledge, the sisters hadn't discussed Jessica's habit of shooting off her mouth.
From what Lacey's mother had told her, Drina had that exact same expression on her face, there was the same coldness in her eyes and voice. Lacey didn't know her brother's girlfriend as well as her sister did, but it was pretty clear that Carly was just about to push her college roommate too far. The question was, did Carly understand that? Lacey knew her sister was trying to help Vin and Drina, but she was just about to go too far.
She did understand that, and replied quietly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just want you and my brother to be happy." Well, duh ... that was what they all wanted! Lacey would definitely need to talk with Rafael. Carly was taking her new role as Little Miss Matchmaker a leetle too seriously ... although, if she got it into her head to start matchmaking for Lacey, then the college sophomore would have to shoot her!
At the moment, Vin Tanner's mind wasn't on any of the ladies in his life. Rather, he was helping General Hammond, General Travis, Chris Larabee and Jack O'Neill figure out what had gone wrong with a mission headed by SG-7. While he was the second in command of SG-7, Vin wasn't military, and he had a different way of looking at each mission. Both of the generals were wise enough to know that sometimes, they needed a different viewpoint.
Vin was that different viewpoint, many times. Especially when Josiah Sanchez was away with another SG squad, on another mission. That wasn't the case today, but Josiah had a mission that was just as important. Keeping Colonel Rafael Martinez from annihilating Will Richmond. Never on the best of terms, the two men were often at each other's throats on a daily basis. From what Vin could tell, Richmond would have to hit rock bottom before he finally got it through his thick skull that people would fight back.
Well, that fool weren't none of Vin's concern. Right now, he was more worried about why SG-4 was almost wiped out on what was supposed to be a routine mission. He ignored Jack muttered about SG-4 competing with SG-1 for their ability to turn a routine mission into the mission from hell. Vin knew Jack better than that ... he was genuinely worried about the people in the infirmary, and couldn't figure out how things had gone so wrong.
They had pieced together the events, from interviewing the members of SG-4 who weren't hurt as badly. Vin remembered being on the receiving end of the interviews ... after he and Drina returned without SG-3, and after their first go-round with Ella Gaines. The four military men gathered had found no errors on the part of SG-4. Vin's part was bringing up other possibilities. The trouble was, it was looking more and more like a) faulty intelligence, or b) just sheer bad luck. Which was good news for SG-4, but bad news for the SGC.
Or was it good news for SG-4? Wasn't it better to make a mistake, and be able to learn from it, than to just attribute it to bad luck? Vin would have preferred to simply make a mistake, learn from it, then go on. Bad luck was ... random. There was no protecting yourself against bad luck. It simply occurred. Which was why Vin was so determined to find out what went wrong. SG-4 had done everything according to the book, things they had learned over the last four years from other missions.
Again, Vin's eyes were drawn to a piece of testimony from Dr. Francis Riley, the archaeologist assigned to the team. Riley, like Liam O'Shea, was originally from Ireland. He wasn't the first of his family to arrive in this country ... in fact, he was named for an indirect ancestor of his, who had come to this country in the 1850's. According to Dr. Riley, his namesake fought in the Civil War, though he never knew which side.
According to Riley, they had made contact with the local folks. SG-4 had gotten lucky in that respect. Riley spoke Irish Gaelic, and the locals spoke a variation. It took some doin,' but eventually, Riley could make himself understood. Or ... so they thought. Vin read over Riley's account, then finally asked, "Do any a' y'all know any foreign languages? Most a' my Spanish ain't of the polite variety."
He was rewarded with several grins, and all four of his companions acknowledged they had knowledge of other languages. Vin continued, "Been thinkin.' Don't remember 'xactly where I heard this, but seems to me I remember hearin' that language ain't just 'bout the words, but about the way ya say 'em. The accent? Now, Dr. Riley says that the locals spoke a variation of Irish Gaelic."
Again, his companions nodded, and Vin pushed forward, "So, that's a variation ... it ain't the same thin.' Maybe he pronounced a word wrong ... and that threw the entire thin' off. Now, Charlotte once tol' me somethin.' That sometimes, even a little variation in a translation is enough to screw everythin' up. She says the ol' joke about losin' somethin' in the translation is 'bout right. So, stands to reason ... the change of even one letter can mean the difference between two completely separate words."
"Wait a minute ... where is it ... here! You're talking about the section where Riley was talking to the locals about the Gou'ald. And you're thinking that's what started it ... yes. George, Jack, Chris ... turn to page 3. It says right here that Riley had a conversation with the tribal leader, and referred to himself and his people as an enemy of the Gou'ald. You're thinking that the leader may have believed the opposite was true?" General Travis asked, his dark eyes intent on Vin.
"It's a possibility, General. Hell, even people who speak the same language cain't understand each other at times," Vin replied. He actually wasn't referring to the language problems sometimes faced by men and women, figurin' out what the hell the other was saying. But he could tell from the expressions of his four companions that they were thinking of that very thing. 'Specially the problems at the beginning of a relationship. ' Cordin' to his grandpa, by the time Vin's gramma died, Paris and Clarice Tanner could finish each other's sentences.
"So," Jack said, thankfully staying on topic, "you're thinking that someone may have thought SG-4 was actually telling the locals that they were allies to the Gou'ald. There's just one problem with that scenario ... why go to the local System Lord? SG-4 only consisted of six men, and there were fifty villagers strong. Why go to the enemy?" Vin shrugged, and Jack continued, "Unless ... there was another village who took advantage of the misunderstanding?"
"There's another possibility," Vin said softly, "could be that they asked the Gou'ald to deal with SG-4, 'cause the tribe already invited them to eat with them. Woulda been a stain on the tribe, if they done it themselves. Don't rightly know much 'bout this particular group, but it makes sense." He was a guide and sharpshooter, not an anthropologist or sociologist. But, his lady was an archaeologist, and that meant, in turn, that she was also an anthropologist.
"Well, gentlemen, we have more leads than we did an hour ago. General Travis and I will go over the interviews again, and see what more we can learn. Colonels Larabee and O'Neill, Mr. Tanner ... you're all dismissed," General Hammond said. Both Vin's brother and the other colonel saluted, while Vin nodded to the men, then the trio left the conference room. There was several moments of silence as the men walked along the corridor. Then ...
"So, Vin ... are we speaking from experience?" Jack O'Neill asked. Vin looked at the gray-haired colonel with a raised eyebrow, and O'Neill continued with an impish grin, "Well, we all know about things getting lost in the translation." Vin just glared at the man, catching his older brother's evil grin out of the corner of his eye. Vin gave Chris the Tanner Look, which did about as much good as the Larabee Glare. Jack went on, "I mean, let's face it, it's like the book says ... men are from Mars, and women are from Venus."
"Yeah, Vin ... and if I were you, I wouldn't spend the next three months, planning the perfect night for Adriana," Chris chimed in, his own grin getting steadily more evil. Vin felt himself turning bright red, starting at the base of his throat and spreading upward until he was blushing to the roots of his hair. He wasn't in the mood to rip his brother a new one, even though he didn't really think it was any of his business, or anyone else's for that matter. Not, of course, that it would stop anyone from trying to get involved ... like, maybe, his twin sister?
"Chris is right ... you keep waiting and planning the perfect night, and Adriana will take the decision out of your hands. She'll decide to seduce you herself!" Jack added, draping a companionable arm over Vin's shoulders. Hell, he was probably right about that! And it wasn't that Vin minded being seduced. He had decided during karaoke night, the previous week, that he liked Adriana's version of seduction. But this was something he wanted to do for her. Something special, something which she deserved. And ...
"She deserves the best," Vin said softly, looking first at his brother, then at Jack, willing them to understand, "she deserves candlelight and roses, she deserves champagne and soft music. A night when neither of us gotta worry 'bout bein' called to the base, 'cause one thin' or 'nother is goin' on. And I know that ain't gonna happen. But ... I just want to make sure it's special and perfect for her." Jack stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned to face Vin, while Chris put his arm around Vin's shoulders.
"Okay, m'boy, I want you to listen to Uncle Jack here. No matter what you do, it will be special for her. Okay? I'll be the first to admit, I ain't the playboy of the Western world, the way Buck Wilmington is. But I will tell you this, because I know it for a fact. All the roses and champagne and candlelight, none of that means a damn thing without love. You two love each other. So no matter what the circumstances of your first time, it will be special." Jack paused, cocked his head to one side, adding, "And it will be your first time, won't it?"
Vin nodded, murmuring, "Stayed away from people, after I left Texas, for the most part. Was too afraid of gittin' somebody killed, 'cause a' Eli Joe. Sure, I helped folks a time or two. Couldn't just stand by and do nothin.' But I didn't stick around long enough to let myself care about nobody but myself." He stopped and looked pleadingly at his brother and Jack, almost begging them not to make fun of him as he added, "I couldn't expose myself like that."
Chris understood at once, and the teasing light died from his green eyes. Jack said softly, "I know, kid. And much as other people might tease you, there's not a damn thing wrong with what you did. Well ... it would be better if you had a little more experience, but you know, in today's world, it was a damn fine thing you did. But Vin ... we weren't joking earlier. If you wait for the right time, she'll make the decision for you."
"And this would be a bad thing how?" Chris asked as they once more started walking. He gave an evil grin of his own, adding, "I mean, I've had the decision made for me a few times. It ain't that bad." All three men laughed, but Vin wasn't convinced. This would be the first time for them both. Was it really so wrong to want to make it perfect for the woman he loved? Or, at least as perfect as you could make it in an imperfect world?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Medieval Fest is, to the best of my knowledge, my creation. It was inspired both by my visit to Excaliber in Las Vegas five years ago, and my visit to Medieval Times in Myrtle Beach, SC, three years ago.
Despite his teasing of his younger brother, Chris Larabee would have never told anyone else what was troubling Vin. Not just because Vin was his little brother, but also because it was nobody's damn business. And he found himself deeply touched by Vin's commitment to making this first time special, for Adriana. His little brother was a romantic, and not ashamed to show it when it came to the woman he loved.
Vin wanted everything to be as perfect as he could make it for her. Chris wondered if he realized that desire was as romantic as any bold and grand gesture. Adriana loved Vin, not for roses or champagne. In fact, Chris knew that Adriana didn't like to get roses, she ... Chris stopped, his mind suddenly speeding ahead. Wait a minute. Stop and think for a minute. She didn't like to get flowers ... but she collected water globes. Hmmm. Now that was an interesting idea. Start at the beginning, Christopher.
Ever since their return from Busch Gardens ... was it only a few months ago now? But ever since their return from the theme park, they had steadily added to Adriana's resurrected collection. He, Buck, and Mary had. But what about Vin? Chris put his arm around his brother's shoulders, asking, "Vin? Just outta curiosity, have you given Adriana any additions to her water globe collection?"
His brother stopped right in the middle of the hallway, his blue eyes narrowing as he thought about it, then replied slowly, "Nah, don't reckon I have at that. Why ... what are ya thinkin,' Chris?" The colonel just smiled and slowly led his brother along the corridor. Chris knew for a fact that Carly was getting impatient for Vin and Adriana to 'do the dead,' as the SEALS put it, and with the shopping trip to the mall, it seemed likely that she wouldn't pass up the chance to call a 'war council.'
Chris knew all about the war councils ... he had heard about them from Mary, and thanked God every day that he and Mary were together before his sister decided to play Little Miss Matchmaker. Although, if she was really smart, she would do it for Buck, instead of harassing her twin and college roommate. Instead of alerting his brother to Carly's schemes, however, Chris continued, "Because, as it happens, there is a Medieval Festival this weekend. And you know what that means."
Vin's blue eyes lit up as he replied gleefully, "Vendors!" Chris nodded. Of course his little brother knew what he was thinking. Vin continued excitedly, "Ya know, Ez always razzes me 'bout bein' a Robin Hood, but really, even 'fore he got me them books, I always liked King Arthur best. That was always somethin' Drina and me had in common. We both liked them Arthurian stories."
"Then, little brother, I think we have an idea about how to start your courtship of Adriana. You want her to have the best? Then that's what we'll do. You and I will go to the Festival, and find the most beautiful water globe there is. Hide it in plain sight," Chris said. His mind was speeding ahead once more, because he knew once the ladies found out that there was a Medieval Fest, there would be no keeping them away.
Vin knew this as well, for he commented, "Ya know, me and Drina always thought goin' to them in costume would be lots a'fun ... but we never done that, 'cause it was always so damn hot. Reckon we wouldn't have that problem this time 'a year." Chris just laughed and wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders once more. It was rather chilly, but that wouldn't keep the die-hards away. And, as Vin suggested, they could go in costume. Instead of being hot, the heavy clothes would keep them warm. Besides ... Chris hadn't worn black in a while. He kinda enjoyed the idea of showing up in dark colors.
"I like that idea," the colonel said thoughtfully, "and if I remember correctly, Josiah has some contacts. Why don't we have a little talk with Mr. Sanchez," here, his voice developed something of a Southern accent, and Vin's blue eyes sparkled with laughter, "and maybe he'll have some ideas ... or even costumes for us to borrow." One of these days, he really would learn not to underestimate his little brother.
Because in the very next breath, Vin replied, "Reckon we got all our bases covered, cowboy, 'cause Daniel has some of them costumes, too. From back when he was livin' on Abydos, and I reckon from college too." Chris just stared at his brother in amazement. That was right ... he remembered Jack teasing Daniel about that, as well as JD's snide remark about Daniel liking to live in fantasy worlds. The kid got bapped for that one (courtesy of Jack O'Neill, Daniel's self-appointed big brother), and Chris hadn't protested.
On the other hand, JD had been behaving lately, usually when Vin wasn't looking. Chris didn't draw his attention to it, because JD was being so low-key in making amends. There was a day earlier in the week when Vin was looking for a spyglass which had been handed down in the Tanner family since the 1830's. The reason he couldn't find it was because JD had noticed the lenses were getting scratched and dirty, and the boy had taken it to be cleaned.
JD replaced the spyglass while Vin was on a mission with another team. Thankfully, after Kevin became Vin once more, he only needed two weeks to make sure he was fit for a mission. Thankfully, not just for Vin himself and the rest of SG-7, but for the sake of everyone in the SGC ... not the least of whom was Janet Frasier and General Hammond. So far, Vin had stayed out of trouble, easing his older brother's anxiety.
"Well, then," Chris drawled in his best imitation of his younger brother's accent, giving him a slight one-armed hug, "I think between the two of us, we can cook up a half decent disguise." Vin just raised his brows at him, an impish smile threatening to erupt, and Chris amended, "Alright, a half decent costume. Damn, boy, I'm gonna have to teach you some manners one of these days."
"Ya think ya can?" Vin questioned, laughing, and Chris responded with a mock-punch to his gut. Of course, it didn't even faze him ... he didn't even give Chris the satisfaction of an equally fake groan. Instead, his mischievous younger brother ruffled the blond hair, and Chris growled at his younger brother. Ruffle his hair, would he? Well, they would just see about that! And of course, this scared his brother not at all. Vin just laughed and took off running down the hall, with the colonel in hot pursuit.
He caught with Vin as they were reaching Daniel's office, and Chris made a lunge, catching his brother by the waist. His momentum carried them both inside the open door of the office in question, where Daniel was doing something on his laptop computer. The young Egyptologist looked up from what he was doing, blinked once, then said, "Uh ... hi. Is there something I can do for you? Chris? Vin? And can I take a picture to use as blackmail the next time I need help with a prank on Jack?" This was said as he pulled a disposable camera from his desk drawer and waved it at them.
Vin twisted free of Chris, standing up and still laughing, and said, "Naw, no pictures necessary, just ask when ya want help. Fact, we can trade favors. Ya still got them outfits from the Renaissance Faires?" Daniel nodded, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, and Vin continued, sitting on the edge of the Egyptologist's desk, "See, Chris and me, we got an idea, and we need yer help."
"Do tell, this isn't something that happens often," Daniel replied. Vin outlined exactly what they were doing, and why they were doing it. Daniel smiled sadly, no doubt thinking of Sha'uri, who had sacrificed herself to warn Daniel, and replied, "That doesn't even qualify as a favor ... any costume which fits you and you like, you can borrow, Vin. Anything else I can do to help, you tell me, or Jack."
The Egyptologist paused, then added, "Drina's my friend ... and, when we're on a dig on another planet, she's usually my second in command. This is something that will make her happy, and after everything you both have been through during the last few months, this doesn't even qualify as a favor. This is ... this is a balancing of the scales. C'mon. Josiah and I pooled our resources. I'm sure we can find something to fit you both ... and probably some black for Chris."
The colonel just glared at him, and Daniel said, laughing as he saved whatever he was working on, "Please, Chris, don't even try that glare on me. You're forgetting something very important. The tapes of you singing 'kill da wabbit' at the breakfast table." Chris found himself turning bright red, and at the first hint of laughter from his kid brother, the colonel had him in a head lock, avenging his pride with noogies galore.
Elsewhere, the ladies of the Four Corners were eating lunch inside the food court of the mall. For the last ten minutes, Carly Tanner had been trying to convince Adriana Wilmington to let her help ... despite Adriana's repeated refusal. At this point in time, bets were being taken by Josie Tanner about what exactly would happen when Carly went too far. And that was a given, it was just a question of how soon ... and how bad the blast would be.
The blast didn't happen. Adriana simply ignored Carly and instead, discussed the various Graham Hancock books with Charlotte, with most of the conversation focusing on 'Message from the Sphinx.' Honestly, Mary really had no idea whether or not the Sphinx was indeed as old as scientists such as Robert Bauval and John Anthony West said, but from what Charlotte and Adriana were saying, some interesting points had been raised. And really, there was no way to know, unless some major archaeological find popped up. Or, in that case, Mary supposed she should say, a major archaeological find was dug up, but the semantics didn't matter in this case.
At last, Adriana rose to her feet, saying, "I don't have the answers, either, Charlotte. But in our line of work ... with what you and I do every day, with what we see ... you have to admit there's a good chance. Be right back ... gotta dump this tray." With that, she walked away, and Charlotte leveled a glare at Carly, one which would have made Chris pause if he had seen it. More and more, Mary was thinking that Lacey was right to adopt the senior archaeologist.
"Now that is enough, Caroline! You either leave her alone about her and Vin, or you can face the consequences. And trust me, if you think it's bad when she ignores you, the fallout when she finally blows her stack will be a hundred times worse ... now back off while you still have your hide!" Charlotte seethed. Mary looked at Lacey and carefully edged toward the teenager, noticing Josie doing the same thing from the opposite direction.
"I am only trying to help!" Carly defended herself hotly, her blue eyes flashing with rage. She looked around the table, saying, "I want my brother to be happy! I want them both to be happy, and you can't tell me anyone at this table disagrees." She sat back, looking at them defiantly, and Mary looked at Josie. The former sergeant didn't acknowledge her niece's outburst or Mary's questioning look.
Not at first, at least. Then she said quietly, "We all want them to be happy, Caroline. But I think it's a safe bet that we all have faith in Adriana. Unless you're trying to say that she's too dumb to know what she's doing where Kevin is concerned." Uh-oh. Charlotte wasn't the only one who was pissed. Mary scooted a little closer to Lacey, now thankful that Billy had asked to stay at Nettie's while she puppy-sat Mindy.
Carly's eyes widened at her aunt's rather blatant accusation, but before she could defend herself, Josie continued, "That's how it sounds to all of us. Carly ... I know you love your brother, and I know you love Adriana. But right now, you are acting just like Jessica. This is the same sort of thing she did when she told Jock Steele about Adriana's past, when she knew damn good and well Adriana wasn't ready for the entire world to know about it. And now, whether she realizes it or not, Jessica has put that girl's life in danger."
"How do you mean, Mom?" Lacey asked in a tiny voice. Mary put her arm around the girl's shoulder, wanting to know the answer to that as well. Until her journalistic instincts kicked in, and she realized that for the last ten years, Avery Wilmington had no idea where his daughter was. If Jock Steele said anything about Adriana being a civilian contractor at Cheyenne Mountain, then they could have problem on their hands.
But it was Carly who replied, her face ashen, "He can use Steele to trace Adriana, kiddo. Just like he could have used twithead Claire to trace Adriana when that airhead used Adriana's name to get a fake credit card, back when she and Chanu first got married under Daddy Moseley's radar. And if that happens, then her relationship with Vin will be the least of her worries. Aunt Jo, did she tell you why she did it?" Mary looked back at Josie, since she never heard what came of that conversation.
"She told me she didn't know Jock Steele was around, and she was just so proud of Vin. It wasn't like she told anyone about Cheyenne Mountain, after all. It never even occurred to her, that after a man molested his child and tried to destroy her, that the girl might still be in danger from him," Josie replied. She looked at Carly, her dark eyes level, and said, "That's why you've got to leave Adriana alone about this. It's not a matter of intentions, but about actions. And now, because of her actions, Jessica is paying the consequences with her son, with your brother. At a time when she really couldn't have afforded to make any mistakes."
Mary winced, hearing a retro warning for herself in there. She could remember a few times when her own good intentions backfired because she took the wrong action. Josie was silent for several moments, then added, "And then there's the matter of Vin. He won't be pleased with your interference, Carly. Is it really worth losing your brother over? Oh, he won't shut you out ... but you will lose ground with him."
Carly dropped her eyes, and Josie continued, "Didn't think so. I know you love them both. But right now, you've got to love them enough to leave them alone. Whether you understand it or not, Vin has a very good reason for being wary. Yes, we know, Adriana knows exactly what she's doing ... but Vin doesn't want to take the chance of misinterpreting the signals, and going too far."
"It just ... it's like they're letting that miserable sonovabitch win, Aunt Josie! They're letting him determine things that shouldn't be under his control," Carly sighed, her shoulders slumping. The situation seemed to be turning the corner, but Mary stayed near Lacey. Carly was actually the most volatile of the Tanner-Larabee siblings ... as Will Richmond had found out many times, much to his detriment.
"You're still not understanding, Carly. You're doing the same thing, trying to decide for them. You're trying to take control away from Vin and away from Adriana. That's why we keep telling you to back off ... because Adriana knows exactly what she's doing. Now that she knows what Vin is doing, she can deal with it herself," Josie said with some exasperation. Mary felt Lacey wince when Josie accused Carly of trying to take control away from the pair.
She saw Carly actually flinch at her aunt's words, and it was then that Adriana returned to the table. The archaeologist said, swinging her purse over her shoulder, "You know, I remembered there was something at the candle shop ... uhm ... 'Bell, Book, and Candle,' that I wanted to look for. Anyone up for joining me?" Mary exchanged a look with Lacey, and the teen nodded, then both rose to their feet.
"Gimme a minute ... damn, I hate these things. Lacey, could you hold my crutches steady, please? I'm afraid I'll knock the damn things over," Charlotte requested. Lacey stepped to her side, holding the crutches a slight distance away, allowing Charlotte to shift her weight until she was clear of the table. With that accomplished, the still-recovering woman levered herself up from her seat, using the crutches.
"That's three ... anyone else?" Adriana inquired. For the first time, Mary could see how angry her friend was, as she wasn't even looking at Carly. Instead, she looked at Charlotte, saying, "I'll go slow. Don't want you falling again." Charlotte scowled at the brunette, drawing an impish smile to Adriana's face, and the junior archaeologist ducked out of the way as Charlotte took a swipe at her head.
"Oh, I think we're all ready, but why don't we meet you there, Drina? Give us time to dump our trays. And while you're on your way, think about whether or not you're wearing a costume to the Festival," Josie suggested.
Oh ... Mary had forgotten all about the Festival! How that was possible, she didn't know, since Billy had been begging her to take him ever since his teacher mentioned it during class one day. He had been to Renaissance Faires, but with the different name, he was thinking it would be something different. Mary was willing to take the chance, but she didn't know what Chris had planned. But it seemed the other ladies were planning to go.
"That sounds fun ... we'll have to see what kind of trouble we can cook up between the four of us between now and then!" Adriana replied, laughing. Mary rolled her eyes, once more looping her arm around Lacey's shoulders. Trouble? They were talking about the ladies of the Seven ... trouble was a given, whether they cooked it up themselves or not! Mary made eye contact with Charlotte, who just grinned. No doubt, she was used to this!
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